Unless it Unmakes the Church

And When the Moment Comes

What's it all About?

Painting: Hoffman, Christ and the Rich Young Ruler (detail)

But Never the Heresy

'The dogmas of the church are like bricks, solid things with which a man can build... the Church has been and will always be intolerant so far as the rights of God are concerned, for heresy, error and untruth affect not personal matters on which She (the Church) may yield, but a Divine Right in which there is no yielding. The truth is divine; the heretic is human.

'Due reparation made, the Church will admit the heretic back into the treasure of Her souls, but never the heresy into the treasure of her wisdom. Right is right even if nobody is right; and wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong.'

Fulton J. Sheen

Painting: John Macallan Swan, The Prodigal Son, 1888

Dear Brave and Good Young People

Who Do I Think I Am?

I have tracked down my spiritual roots! This is no small thing for someone whose Baptismal name is different from the one on her birth certificate, and who had been told years ago that there was "no church by that name" in the city where she was baptized. And whose parents and alleged godparents (was my favorite uncle really my godfather? ...no one seemed totally sure) are all deceased.

But today, here it was. A call from a chancery. Yes, there was a church by that name, of course there was. When I was born it was a tiny, brand new parish in a tiny, rural suburb. Part of the city, but not exactly. A tiny unknown parish for a tiny, unknown, brand new baby girl. Thankfully it still exists, as do its records. They're kept in old books, like the ones people thumb through on the TV program "Who Do You Think You Are" (explained a friendly secretary on the phone today).

Never mind that my family moved from there when I was a toddler. Never mind that my baptismal name was not the same as my birth name - I had always known why, and it was simple. I'd been named Nancy Ann, and on Baptismal Day the priest refused to give me that name. Babies were baptized in Latin in those days, and in that language Nancy and Ann were the same. Father was not about to baptize this child "Anna Anna." My suddenly-rattled mother thought of one of her sisters, and I was baptized Nancy Helen. Which caused a bit of confusion in my Catholic grade school years, but fortunately provided me with an additional patron saint.

There is a lot of interest in genealogy today. Television programs feature people who are thrilled to discover heroic ancestors, long lost links, even living relatives. I find it intriguing.

Nothing, however, has been as thrilling for me as learning the exact date of my Baptism (which I had never known), and that this took place in a church I'd been told did not exist, and that my favorite uncle was indeed my godfather. With one simple phone call, I was able to track down actual, written-on-paper evidence of my relation to every saint in every age of the Church.

"We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church." (Pope Paul VI)

I am Nancy Helen, a member of the Body of Christ, and I'm thus related to every hero of the faith throughout the ages. I was claimed by Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism when I was three weeks and three days old. I am Nancy Helen, a daughter of God the Father and a servant of Christ my only Lord.

And that is who I know I am.



Painting: Matthijs Maris, Christening Procession in Lausanne

A Mark of the True Church

On This Great Ship

'In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like 

a great ship being pounded by the waves of life's different stresses.

Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course.'

St. Boniface

 

Painting: Ivan Aivazovsky

A Home in Accord

'The home must be in accord with the Church, that all harmful influences be withheld from the souls of children. Where there is true piety in the home, purity of morals reigns supreme.'

St. John Vianney







Painting: Franz von Defregger, Grace Before Meal

When the Moment Comes

'The world today is tearing up the photographs of a good society, a good family, a happy, individual personal life. But the Church is keeping the negatives. And when the moment comes when the world wants a reprint, we will have them.' 

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Painting: Lovis Corinth 

Flowers Before Your Throne

"My Beloved, this is how my life will be consumed.  I have no other means of proving my love for You other than that of strewing flowers, that is, not allowing one little sacrifice to escape, not one look, one word, profiting by all the smallest things and doing them through love; and in this way I shall strew flowers before Your throne.

"I shall not come upon a flower without unpetalling it for You.  While I am strewing my flowers, I shall sing, for could one cry while doing such a joyous action?  I shall sing even when I must gather my flowers in the midst of thorns, and my song will be all the more melodious in proportion to the length and the sharpness of the thorns.

"O Jesus, of what use will my flowers be to You?  Ah!  I know very well that this fragrant shower, these fragile, worthless petals, these songs of love from the littlest of hearts will charm You.  Yes, these nothings will please You.  They will bring a smile to the Church Triumphant.  She will gather up my flowers unpetalled through love and have them pass through Your own divine hands, O Jesus.

"And this Church of Heaven... will cast these flowers, which are infinitely valuable because of Your divine touch, upon the Church Suffering in order to extinguish its flames, and upon the Church Militant in order to gain the victory for it."  St. Therese of Lisieux 

Painting: Knaus, Ludwig; Girl in a Field, 1857

A Leaven in the World

St Peter's Basilica, Rome

'God, our Father,
by the promise You made

in the life, death and resurrection of
Christ, Your Son,

You bring together in Your Spirit,
from all the nations,

a people to be Your own. 

Keep the Church

faithful to its mission:
may it be a leaven in the world,

renewing us in Christ,
and transforming us into Your family.'

From the Roman Missal

For the World Today

'O Divine Redeemer… 

May Your Church, one in Your love, 

holy in sharing Your very holiness, 

still be for the world today the vessel of salvation for men,

the center of unity for all hearts, 

inspiring holy resolutions for a general and stirring renewal. 

May her children,

no longer divided and forsaking all unworthiness,

 do her honor always and everywhere, 

so that those who do not yet belong to her

may consider her and find

You, the way, the truth and the life, 

and in You be brought back to

the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit!'

                                               Pope Paul VI, Insegnamenti

 

Painting: Carl Friedrich Lessing, Forest Chapel 

There is still time to adopt-a-cardinal to pray for as the conclave gets underway!  Click here for details.

This post is linked to Catholic Bloggers Network Linkup Blitz

What An Opportunity!

What a beautiful opportunity during this pivotal time in the Church!

Did you know that, in addition to praying for the Conclave electing our next pope, we can each actually "adopt a cardinal" and pray very specifically that he will be guided by the Holy Spirit? 

I first learned about this through Tiffany at Family at the Foot of the Cross , and before long I had prayed, clicked, and suddenly I was given the privilege of praying for Cardinal Franc Rodé from Slovenia.  I've been "researching" him for several hours now, and already this makes the election process more personal than ever. 

If you would like to take this opportunity to pray particularly for one of the men who will be inspired by God to choose our next holy father,  click this line   http://adoptacardinal.org/  to read more about it.

'On this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'  Matthew 16:18

Painting: Josef Wagner-Höhenberg, Ein Treffen der Kardinäle

This post is linked to Catholic Bloggers Network Linkup Blitz 

Pray, Pray, Pray

'On this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'  Matthew 16:18

You will, by now, have seen or heard our Holy Father's most recent announcement.  If not, click this line to view.  

I will be honest:  my human heart is heavy.  Very heavy.  However, I know for certain that our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI is shepherding us even as he makes this decision.

For this next Conclave, we have a unique window of opportunity.  We have extra time to pray, pray, pray.  I know (yes, I know) that this is exactly what each and every one of us is being called to do.  

My prayer today is not a quote from someone else.  Whatever it turns out to be, it will come from my own heart.

O Lord, we ask Your blessings upon Your servant Pope Benedict XVI.  May You continue to pour Your love out upon him.  Thank You for the wisdom You have given him, thus guiding Your Church through these times.  I look around, Lord, and find the waters of confusion and sin in this world growing ever more turbulent.  You have assured us that the Barque of Your holy Church is under Your particular protection, regardless of the waters in which we might sail.  We pray that You will give us a holy, wise, saintly man to steer us through the next part of Your Church's journey.  You know who this man shall be; You have always known.  We pray for profound graces upon our next pope, for gifts of wisdom and discernment and holy leadership.  Please remind each of us to join in prayer for the Conclave upcoming.  May Your will reign.  May You be glorified.  Jesus, we trust in You.  Amen.